Interesting article re 1954 Penny

[argentumandcoins 70]

[1949threepence 3,366]

Very interesting - £9k offered in 1969. That's £136K adjusted for inflation to the present day.   

Wonder who Spink acquired it from in 1956, and what the full story behind that is.

Equally, I wonder who has it now. 

Thanks for the article, John.

 

[secret santa 2,016]

Here she is. I know where it is but I can't tell (it's not me !)

[mrbadexample 985]

Makes you wonder why the 1933 gets all the glory. 

[scott 129]

no orders for 1954 so they melted them down? how did 1 get into circulation then?

[Bernie 188]

11 hours ago, 1949threepence said:

Very interesting - £9k offered in 1969. That's £136K adjusted for inflation to the present day.   

Wonder who Spink acquired it from in 1956, and what the full story behind that is.

Equally, I wonder who has it now. 

Thanks for the article, John.

 

If you were comparing £9K in 1969 with house prices, It would be more like £750K now !

[PWA 1967 1,841]

Yes regardless of how prices may have risen on some coins £9k in 1967 seems a lot of money to pay for a penny 

Although they turned him down and hopefully he bought a house instead 

 

Edited August 2, 2017 by PWA 1967

[1949threepence 3,366]

9 hours ago, scott said:

no orders for 1954 so they melted them down? how did 1 get into circulation then?

Nobody seems to know. Nearest we'd get is how Spink got their hands on it in 1956.

38 minutes ago, Bernie said:

If you were comparing £9K in 1969 with house prices, It would be more like £750K now !

True - but of course house prices have gone completely insane since then. Ever increasing numbers of people, chasing ever decreasing numbers of properties. 

[secret santa 2,016]

1 hour ago, 1949threepence said:

Ever increasing numbers of people, chasing ever decreasing numbers of properties.

But that's what it feels like with the pennies I want - just look at those Lavrillier 1933 pennies......

[PWA 1967 1,841]

Is it a typo as does say £900 in the heading which may be more on the mark.

[copper123 1,352]

I could not see the 1954 coin fetching much more than £60 000 now so I surpose in investment terms its a lemon

[copper123 1,352]

there again someone might introduce naymar ,lukaku, or messi to a really cheap interesting hobby and it might fetch a million

[1949threepence 3,366]

5 hours ago, secret santa said:

But that's what it feels like with the pennies I want - just look at those Lavrillier 1933 pennies......

So many seem either unavailable or just out of reach for me. I suppose patience is the key. 

3 hours ago, copper123 said:

I could not see the 1954 coin fetching much more than £60 000 now so I surpose in investment terms its a lemon

Given that a 1933 made the equivalent of £151k last year, I can see the 1954 fetching a lot more than £60k - 1933 penny at 2016 auction 

[Sword 1,330]

I don't collect pennies but I would have no hesitation in choosing the 1933 over  the 1954. The 1954 might be unique but the 33 is just so famous to the public at large.

[Leo 91]

It is very interesting...

Chris Perkins' book says one was sold in 2006 for £37,500, which adjusted to today's prices is just below £50K

[Bernie 188]

1 hour ago, Sword said:

I don't collect pennies but I would have no hesitation in choosing the 1933 over  the 1954. The 1954 might be unique but the 33 is just so famous to the public at large.

1 hour ago, Sword said:

 

A collection of currency pennies would not be considered complete without having all dates. Possibly penny collectors have a different mind set to the public at large.

[will1976 231]

There's a very good altered '1933' penny on the bay at the moment, it's the only one I'll ever be able to afford!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITAIN-GEORGE-V-1933-PENNY-PRO-ALTERATION-TOOLED-/201995428787?hash=item2f07dda3b3:g:UjMAAOSwY~VZdIq8

[Peckris 579]

8 hours ago, copper123 said:

there again someone might introduce naymar ,lukaku, or messi to a really cheap interesting hobby and it might fetch a million

As Neymar's price has just been quoted as £200m, he should be easily able to afford that!

[Sword 1,330]

47 minutes ago, Bernie said:

A collection of currency pennies would not be considered complete without having all dates. Possibly penny collectors have a different mind set to the public at large.

Every coin collector has dreamt of owing a 1933 penny since his early days. I don't even collect pennies but would love to own a 1933 if I win the lottery. The coin is so famous and would be a great talking point. Since there are only 3 1933 pennies (2 currency and 1 proof) legitimately in private hands, even some the most serious pennies collectors have to live with gaps in their collection. 

[1949threepence 3,366]

2 hours ago, Leo said:

It is very interesting...

Chris Perkins' book says one was sold in 2006 for £37,500, which adjusted to today's prices is just below £50K

Chris Perkins' book also says that in addition to that coin, another 1954 was retrieved from change and is in the British Museum. So are there two 1954's? Is there one in the BM? I've always understood that there was just the one.

[DaveG38 385]

This rarity problem is the reason why I only really collect currency pieces. That way, I can happily ignore these exotic coins, nice though they are, and at the same time, I'll never have an unfillable (is that a word?) gap. I can't think of anything more frustrating than being a dedicated penny collector, and by definition completist, and knowing that there are gaps I can never fill. Unless the unlikely combination of lottery win and the sale of these pieces come up around the same time - some hope! 

[VickySilver 775]

But this is a currency piece....

[Leo 91]

9 hours ago, 1949threepence said:

Chris Perkins' book also says that in addition to that coin, another 1954 was retrieved from change and is in the British Museum. So are there two 1954's? Is there one in the BM? I've always understood that there was just the one.

Perhaps that is the same one of the article.

Freeman gives it R20, 'unique', but maybe one or two more escaped the melting pot completely unnoticed... Otherwise they would have popped up in auction, surely?

[DaveG38 385]

7 hours ago, VickySilver said:

But this is a currency piece....

But this date clearly didn't enter circulation. Perhaps the term business strike is a better one. In other words coins struck in quantity for circuation, not struck for testing or trial purposes that never got to mass production. For the same reason, I don't regard the 1945 silver threepence to be something I would collect, nor the Edward VIII coins of 1936. As much as anything my lack of interest stems from the lack of material, plus the lack of funds on the scale needed to buy them. For me all these kinds of coins are interesting curiosities that help define the history of numismatics and the nation, but nothing more. 

[Sword 1,330]

20 minutes ago, DaveG38 said:

But this date clearly didn't enter circulation. Perhaps the term business strike is a better one. In other words coins struck in quantity for circulation, not struck for testing or trial purposes that never got to mass production. 

Exactly. Anything not intended  for circulation is not quite a "real" coin to me. Hence I am generally much more excited by high grade currency than proofs, specimens or patterns. The 1933 penny, petition crown etc are exceptions of course but a big lottery win is needed.